Taxi Driver Online

Success hailed of out-of-area cabs crackdown by Bradford Council


THE number of out-of-area cabbies working in Bradford has fallen dramatically in the last few months after safety fears prompted a tightening of the rules.

In February the Telegraph & Argus reported that about 200 private hire cars operating in Bradford held hackney carriage licences from the Lancashire borough of Rossendale, where driver and vehicle checks were said to be less stringent.

As a result, both Bradford Council and Rossendale Council implemented new rules, and the new figures now show that number has halved to about 100.

Last year, Bradford Council deputy leader Councillor Val Slater urged the public not to get into cabs licensed in Rossendale, because of safety fears.

They have different rules to Bradford, and out-of-area cars are also immune from spot-checks by Bradford’s licensing enforcement team, she said.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, who has taken over the executive responsibility for hackney carriage and private hire, welcomed the reduction.

Advance bookings taken for hackney carriage vehicles licensed by another authority must be maintained in a separate register of bookings.

In addition a separate telephone line and number must also be used with a recorded message stating that the driver and vehicle is not licensed by Bradford Council.

Meanwhile, Rossendale Council also introduced an an “intended use” policy where anyone applying or renewing a licence would be asked where they planned to work.

Drivers saying they wanted to work outside of that borough would be unlikely to be granted a licence.

Cllr Ferriby said: “As they are not licensed by Bradford, it is not possible to accurately account for exactly how many out-of-area taxis are working within the Bradford area, but recent monitoring has shown the number to be about 100 and reducing.

“We also know that some Bradford operators are sending their out-of-area drivers through Bradford’s licensing process for them to be licensed here.”

She added: “I am pleased to see that the number of out-of-area and largely unmonitored numbers of licensed vehicles are reducing, which is good news for the citizens of Bradford.”

“The primary driver of the reduction appears to be the new licensing condition brought in by Bradford.”

A Rossendale Council spokesman also welcomed the reduction.

source: http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/N ... crackdown/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

In addition a separate telephone line and number must also be used with a recorded message stating that the driver and vehicle is not licensed by Bradford Council.

unless you are running with a wholly out of town hackney fleet that would be incredibly difficult to do which is perhaps why numbers have halved

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector